policies

BronyCon is a family-friendly convention. Please help us keep it that way! We welcome fans of all ages and want to create a fun and safe weekend for everypony. In short, if you wouldn't see it in the show, don't bring it into the convention.

Do not engage in any behavior that may threaten, harass or harm others. Ask permission first each time before taking pictures or touching other attendees, and respect that person’s right to say no. If you are being harassed, threatened, or harmed (or see it happening to someone else), and you do not feel comfortable handling it yourself, please report it to our security staff as soon as you can.

Please don’t sell things if you’re not a vendor, sleep in public areas, or drink alcohol in the Baltimore Convention Center. Don’t smoke (including e-cigarettes) inside or near the doors of the convention center, or while waiting in lines. If convention center staff asks you to stop doing something, stop doing it.

If someone's behavior makes you feel unwelcome, unsafe, or uncomfortable, that is harassment.

BronyCon does not allow harassment of any kind, including but not limited to behaviors such as: stalking, offensive comments, hate speech, bathroom policing, inappropriate or unwelcome physical contact, recording or taking pictures without permission, and repeatedly disrupting conversations you have been asked to leave. The aforementioned comments or hate speech could be in relation to: age, race or ethnicity, color, citizenship or national origin, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or presentation, appearance, clothing, body size, pregnancy, disability, or religion. This list is not an exhaustive list.

Keep your hands to yourself. Respect your fellow attendees. Keep an eye on what you say to people and how you act around them. Take notice of people's preferences as displayed on color communication badges. Remember, cosplay is not consent: just because someone is in costume, it doesn't give you permission to take a picture or touch their costume. Ask first, and if they tell you no, respect that.

If you feel harassed or see someone else being harassed, notify a staff member immediately. You are also within your rights to ask the harasser to stop on your own. Once notified, BronyCon staff will take any action necessary to stop the behavior, up to and including badge revocation and expulsion from convention premises. We will also take steps to help you feel safe again at your request, such as escorting you to a place you feel safe, contacting your friends or family for you, or contacting Baltimore police.

This policy applies without exception to everyone at the convention, including attendees, panelists, vendors, guests, convention staff, and venue staff.

We love to see our attendees dress up in all sorts of creative and interesting costumes! However, for safety's sake, we have some rules about what costumes and props are acceptable at BronyCon. When planning your costume, please keep the following rules in mind:

Decency and Appropriateness: Congoer attire must cover all areas normally covered by a swimsuit. Costumes and props must also be PG-rated. Hate speech is not permitted on attire or props in any language.

Costume Safety: Costumes must not be dangerous to anyone who bumps into them accidentally. Costumes and props that pose an indoor safety hazard to their owners, such as stilts, roller blades, or party cannons, are also not allowed.

Volume: Costumes and props that make noise must have volume controls and should be kept at an appropriate volume. The owners of such props and costumes must turn down or mute the volume when asked to by Security. Bass cannons are not allowed at BronyCon.

Live Steel: Live steel props are any props crafted from metal with a pointed end or blade-like edge, whether blunt or sharp. All such objects are strictly prohibited in convention spaces. This rule does not apply to objects with only the appearance of metal, such as wooden swords wrapped in aluminum foil.

Weapons: Projectile weapons such as bows, slings, or crossbows must be disabled and unloaded. Bows must be unstrung or strung with a flimsy and loose material such as twine. No bolts or arrows may be carried as part of a costume unless they are fake, not fireable, and not sharp or dangerous.

Gun-like Props: In accordance with Baltimore law, all props that can reasonably be perceived to be a real firearm due to their color, size, shape, or other characteristics are prohibited from the convention. Gun-like props that do not fall under this restriction must have an orange tip as part of the prop at the point of manufacture. (That is, using orange tape or paint on the tip does not qualify unless you made the prop yourself, e.g. out of Styrofoam.) Furthermore, no airsoft guns of any kind are allowed in convention space, disabled or otherwise, and no ammunition of any kind may be carried. Toy guns (such as NERF guns) must be unloaded and their magazines, if present, must be removed except during photos. In all cases, take care to avoid gun-like props with color schemes commonly found on real firearms such as black, gunmetal gray, or tan.

Guns: Real firearms, even if disabled or unloaded, are strictly prohibited in all convention spaces. If you are an off-duty law enforcement officer carrying your sidearm through convention space, please come see the Head of Security when you enter the con so there are no unfortunate misunderstandings.

At BronyCon, we know that it can be overwhelming to meet and be around so many people in such a small space. The Color Communication Cards you received at Registration allow you to express your communication preferences to others quickly and non-verbally. If you are wearing a red or yellow card and someone is harassing you by not respecting your preference, please find a BronyCon staff member to help you.

Green: “Come talk to me!” A person wearing a green card is actively seeking interaction. They may have trouble initiating conversations, so feel free to strike up a chat.

Yellow: “Do I know you?” A yellow card means its wearer only wants to talk to people they recognize. Unless you’ve met this person face-to-face before or they initiate conversation with you directly, be respectful and don’t try to start a conversation with them.

Red: “Not right now.” If a person has a red card, they do not want to talk. Unless they initiate conversation with you directly, please be respectful and do not start interacting with them.

If you lose your BronyCon badge, you will need to pay full price for either a replacement 3 Day Badge or, if you prefer, a 1 Day Badge. If at any point during the convention you find your missing badge, you are welcome to bring it to Registration to turn in the replacement for a refund.

You must wear your badge while inside the convention space at all times. The badge must be worn on the front of your person and the whole badge should be visible. Make sure to have it ready to present when entering a badged area like the Marketplace, Mane Event’s Hall, or BronyPalooza. Staff members may ask to inspect your badge at any time.

Attendees who are 13 years old or under must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old while in convention space. If you are registering a child who is 13 or under, please include emergency contact information with their registration information so that we have someone to call should the child become separated from their adult or should an emergency happen.

The Crusaders’ Clubhouse is only open to attendees 13 years old or younger and their accompanying adults. Adults who are not supervising children will not be allowed in the room or at the doorway. Adults must stay with their children at all times, including in the Clubhouse; they are not allowed to drop their children off at the Clubhouse and leave.

BronyCon &Up programming is reserved for attendees 21 years of age and older. &Up programming is to be held in convention space dubbed “Hall of Chaos” in the Hilton Inner Harbor. As in previous years, the Baltimore Convention Center will remain an all-ages space.

Programming will include a level of content typical of what may be encountered at a comedy club or your average neighborhood bar. All content provided for BronyCon &Up events must be free of nudity, excessive violence and gore, and pornographic material. All panelists involved in &Up events must also be 21 years of age and older.

In order to attend an &Up event, you must be wearing your BronyCon badge as well as provide a valid state or government issued photo ID with a birthdate. This means a state ID, driver’s license, passport, or military license. Non-US equivalents are also acceptable. You must keep your badge and ID on you at all times while attending &Up panels and must provide them if requested. You will need to have both items checked again if you exit and then re-enter the programming space. No one younger than 21 will be allowed entry, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian who is of age.

No outside food or drink will be allowed in the programming space, except for clear water bottles. Anyone found with outside beverages will be escorted out of the room. For the convenience of attendees, there will be a cash bar in the programming space. Any visibly intoxicated person will be turned away at the door or escorted out of the room.

Some areas of the convention space (such as staff offices) are restricted to staff only. In addition, the back hallways of the convention center are for staff use only; attendees are not allowed to use these hallways unless escorted by a staff member.

Areas of the convention space that are not in use will be locked. These areas are off-limits to attendees. Similarly, after all programming for the day is done, the convention center will be locked and attendees will be asked to leave.

Backstage areas are off-limits to attendees and staff unless they have a backstage pass or are being escorted by someone with a backstage pass.

Due to Baltimore Convention Center policies, attendees are not allowed to put flyers, post-it note installations, or other postings on the walls of the convention center. If you are asked to take your poster down, please do so; if your poster is taken down, please don’t repost it later.

The convention lost and found is in Convention Operations in room 336. If you have lost an item or found an item that does not belong to you, please bring it to the ConOps office. After the convention, we will turn all our lost items over to the Baltimore Convention Center.

All BronyCon staff who enter the room must also be 21 years of age or older, both those on shift and those off shift. If a BronyCon staff member who is under 21 must enter the space, they must have a valid emergency reason that cannot be completed by another nearby party.

My Little Pony has a diverse fandom, and BronyCon is committed to making sure that all fans feel comfortable, welcome, and safe at con. This is the same reason we offer special access passes for fans with disabilities, and provide color communication cards for fans with a desire to send a clear signal about their social interaction preferences.

This year, in the same vein, we’re designating several bathrooms in the convention space as gender-neutral—one set on each floor of the convention center. Gender-neutral bathrooms are bathrooms that can be used by anyone, regardless of gender, sex, or gender presentation. Gender-neutral bathrooms will be marked with signage and displayed on attendee-facing maps handed out during the event.

Gender-neutral bathrooms will help fans who are transgender, genderqueer, or don’t feel they fit into the categories of “men” and “women” feel less anxious when doing their business. Many people take conventions as an opportunity to dress as the gender they identify with, especially if their home situation doesn’t allow for it. Having gender-neutral bathrooms allows these attendees to feel just as safe and welcome at BronyCon as everyone else.

We also have a lot of families at BronyCon, and parents might want to accompany their children to the bathroom for safety reasons. There’s an awkward age where a child who is a different gender from their parent is too old to be brought into a bathroom for their parent’s gender, but too young for a parent to feel comfortable letting their child out of their sight. It can be stressful for a parent to wait outside a bathroom while their child is using it alone, and gender-neutral bathrooms allow them to ensure their child’s safety, regardless of whether their gender aligns with their child’s.

There are many other scenarios that gender-neutral bathrooms make less awkward. For example, some people like to cosplay as a character of a different gender and may not feel comfortable using the bathroom for the gender they’re cosplaying as. An attendee with a disability who needs assistance may not have any friends of the same gender with them. Or a cosplayer may experience an urgent costume malfunction that requires a mirror, a sink, and help from a comrade of a different gender to fix.

For folks more comfortable using single-gender bathrooms, there are also plenty of single-gender facilities throughout the convention center.

Transgender is an umbrella term to describe anyone whose gender identity (a person’s concept of self as male, female, both, or neither) does not match their assigned birth gender. (Cisgender is the complementary term, describing anyone whose gender identity does match their assigned birth gender.)

People whose gender identity is different from their biological sex, or the secondary sexual characteristics they developed at puberty, may decide to transition. Transitioning is the process some transgender people go through to live as the gender they identify as, rather than the one they were assigned at birth. This may include personal, medical, and/or legal steps, and it varies from person to person. For example, not every transgender person wants to or can undergo medical procedures, so their physical appearance may not reflect general expectations of how men or women look.

Someone who is genderqueer does not identify with traditional gender distinctions and instead identifies as both, neither, or a combination of male and female genders. They may use gendered or gender neutral pronouns (or both), and their appearance may conform to or play with traditional gendered styling. Both their pronouns and styling may change to reflect shifts in how masculine or feminine they feel.

If you are unsure of what pronoun to use for someone, your best bet is to politely ask, in private if possible: “Hey, what pronouns do you use?” If you use the wrong pronouns for someone, apologize and move on; there’s no need to dwell on the mistake.

Absolutely not. Gender-neutral bathrooms are used by people for the same purposes as single-gender bathrooms: to pee, fix their appearance, change their child’s diaper, whatever. The only difference is who they are meant for: everyone.

The idea that bathrooms that are for multiple genders would cause an increase in assault or harassment ignores two key facts: assault can (and does) occur in single-gender bathrooms, and signs won’t stop someone of a different gender from committing a crime they are intent on.

Attendees should be free from harassment no matter what bathroom they use, and our policies treat harassment in gender-neutral bathrooms exactly the same as in single-gender bathrooms. If you experience harassment of any kind at BronyCon, no matter where or by whom, find a BronyCon staff member and report it.

If you have a medical emergency or see one happen on convention grounds, please inform a member of BronyCon staff immediately. We have certified medical staff who can provide medical assistance and can call for and interface with local emergency medical services should they be needed.

If you have a non-emergency medical situation, you are welcome to come to the Infirmary in room 330, where our medical staff will be happy to assist you! The Infirmary is also open to you should you need a quiet space (to recover from an anxiety or panic attack, for example).

No smoking is allowed in any part of the convention space. If you smoke outside, you must be at least 10 feet from any entrance to the Baltimore Convention Center. This policy also applies to other forms of nicotine delivery such as e-cigarettes, vaporizers, and hookahs, even if they don't contain nicotine.

No alcohol is allowed in any part of the convention space. If you are in the convention space and have alcohol or appear to be intoxicated, you will be asked to leave. This policy also covers the skybridge between the Baltimore Convention Center and the Hilton.

BronyCon is committed to making our events accessible to all our attendees. This page explains all the ways we accommodate our attendees in general, but we know that this won't account for everyone's needs. If you have needs that we are not currently accommodating, please send us an email at [email protected] detailing what you need, and we will do our best to help you out. We ask that you contact us as early as possible so that we have the best chance of being able to best accommodate you.

For attendees who may need extra time to get seated during large events due to mobility difficulties, visual impairment, or other issues, an accessibility pass is available at our info booths. This pass goes on your lanyard behind your badge and allows you and up to two friends to enter Mane Event’s Hall 20 minutes before the general crowds so you have extra time to find a seat and get seated. In order to take advantage of this early entry, make sure you are at the door to Mane Event’s Hall 20 minutes prior the start of the event and show the staff member at the door your pass.

If you don't need extra time to get seated, but you may need to leave a line at a specific time (e.g., to take medication), the accessibility pass also allows you to leave and re-enter lines. When you need to leave the line, show your pass to the people in front of and behind you and to a BronyCon staffer before leaving the line. When you return, you may re-enter the line at your former place.

Attendees who use wheelchairs or have difficulty moving are given priority when using elevators. Able-bodied attendees should let attendees in wheelchairs or who have trouble moving go ahead of them to use elevators first.

Unfortunately, BronyCon cannot supply wheelchairs for our attendees. If you will need a wheelchair at the convention, you can rent one from these local wheelchair rental companies:

All service animals are welcome in all spaces at BronyCon. However, due to Baltimore Convention Center policies, all service animals except those who assist the physically challenged must obtain written approval from the BCC prior to coming on site. Contact [email protected] for this approval.

Attendees are reminded that service animals are working animals and should not distract them or attempt to pet them.